Salvia leucantha. 
xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salvia leucantha, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name, xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99. Salvia leucantha (unpatented) is a low-growing shrub found growing wild in Mexico and tropical Central America. Salvia leucantha xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99 (unpatented) is a selection of Salvia leucantha which has a purple flower and a purple calyx. Both plants are grown and used widely in gardens and landscapes in California.
The inventor grew up in Santa Barbara, Calif., and has a keen interest in plants that are well suited to the Mediterranean climate of the region. For thirty-five years the inventor has pursued her horticultural interests by serving as a Master Gardener in both Minnesota and California, by maintaining and landscaping gardens for various clients, and by volunteering at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, a garden renowned for its living native plant collection and its study of plants native to California. The inventor thereby acquired the skill necessary to discern the variation displayed by xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99, to propagate and observe vegetative divisions of the invention, and to become satisfied by observation and research that the present invention is a new cultivar.
The inventor discovered xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 growing approximately one meter from a plant of Salvia leucantha xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99 (unpatented) in a cultivated area of Santa Barbara, Calif. The discovery was made in the spring of 1995. The soil in which these plants were growing was sandy and dry, conditions to which Salvia leucantha and the selection xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99 are particularly well suited. The inventor observed that xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 had smaller leaves, shorter internodes, and was not as tall as the adjacent and typical plant. When xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 flowered in the spring of that year, it was observed that the flower spikes were also in proportion to the plant""s smaller size. In summary, all the dimensions of xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 were one half to two thirds the size of the adjacent xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99.
The inventor sought to locate similarly compact forms of Salvia leucantha, but has been unable to discover any Salvia leucantha or variety thereof which exhibits or approaches the degree of compactness of xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99.
The inventor presumes that xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 is a seedling of the adjacent plant, despite the low incidence of seedlings of Salvia leucantha or of Salvia leucantha xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99 found in gardens and landscapes. Neither the inventor nor Dr. Dieter Wilken, Director of Research at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, has been able to find seed in xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99. Dr. Wilken dissected several of the plant""s xe2x80x9cspentxe2x80x9d flowers in January 2001, finding no seed, and in March of the same year, dissected several fresh flowers. Dr. Wilken found that the relative position of the stamens and pistils in xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 would not hinder self-pollination (whereas self-pollination is difficult in some salvias whose stamens are strongly displaced from their pistils). Dr. Wilken concluded that xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 may be either self-incompatible, i.e., genetically incapable of self-pollination, or is sterile, i.e., its pollen grains or ovules are sterile (as a result of several possible factors).
xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 has small gray-green leaves and dark purple flowers. The flowers appear violet in full sunlight. xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 is not as tall as either Salvia leucantha or Salvia leucantha xe2x80x98Midnightxe2x80x99. xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 is further characterized by short flower stalks that are borne above the foliage, short internodes, and, overall, a consistently compact habit.
The inventor made the first asexual propagation in Santa Barbara, Calif., by division of the initial plant during the winter 1997/98. Subsequently, the plant was propagated from tip cuttings taken from the original specimen and from tip cuttings taken from divisions of the original specimen. At the present time many cycles of cutting propagation have been carried out by the inventor. The claimed distinguishing characteristics have remained stable and fixed throughout all cycles.
The following list represents the distinguishing characteristics of the new Salvia cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barabaraxe2x80x99 which, in combination, set xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 apart from all other varieties of Salvia leucantha known to the inventor. xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 has not been tested under all possible conditions. Phenotypic differences might occur with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions without any variance in genotype.
1. The new cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 is short in height.
2. The new cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 exhibits a compact habit.
3. The new cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 exhibits small gray-green leaves.
4. The new cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 exhibits short internodes.
5. The new cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 exhibits flowers that are dark purple and which appear violet in full sunlight.
6. The new cultivar xe2x80x98Santa Barbaraxe2x80x99 exhibits short flower stalks that rise above the foliage.